Welcome to my Great ~ and Not So Great ~ Adventures in Our Great Wide World!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

1.29.09 - C C C C

Cruise? Canceled. Cancer? Crud!

Mom and I had planned a cruise. Paid for said cruise. The Constellation will leave Ft. Lauderdale without us on February 13th.

Mom's biopsy results show the lobular lump she found in late December, had mammo'd and sono'd and pushed, prodded and biopsied over the past two weeks is cancerous.

Surgery - lumpectomy and some lymph node work, called Breast Conservation as opposed to mastectomy - is scheduled for February 12th. It would be February 5th, but she has a cold and has to recover from that first.

Doctor ix-nayed the idea of waiting until after the cruise. We were sort of crushed, even though we both felt it was inevitable. One bright note, we don't lose out completely on a refund. (we didn't buy insurance... last time I make THAT mistake) By canceling today, we get a 50% refund. I figured were were out the $$, but getting 50% back makes Mom and, I must admit, me feel a little better.

If they get all the cancerous cells during the lumpectomy and lymph node process, radiation will follow about a month later. If they find cancer in the surrounding cells or spread farther in the lymph nodes, she may face another surgery before radiation. She'll be on follow up medication - Tamoxifen, I think.

The prognosis is good. The lump was found while it was still small (though I don't think 2.5 cm is small myself!) . The doctor, while stating it is aggressive (it has grown a bit in 2 weeks), feels confident that it has been caught in time.

7 comments:

I am so soo sorry to hear that....Oh my word you have to be so up in the air about everything, I know I would be...Can you not get even more back, since it is actually a medical emergency type thing? If not at least you are not totally out...I just do not know what to say....God bless you all and keep you all in his comforting arms....Hugs and prayers coming your way...

Sorry to hear your news. Five years ago today my Mam was in hospital having her breast cancer removed. Thankfully after the op and months of radiotherapy followed by Tamoxifen and the new drug beginning with An- that I can't remember the name of, she is well. She stops her drugs in the next few weeks. I was pregnant when she was diagnosed so, I was kept out of the loop a bit but, seeing her new granddaughter was the spur she needed to get through it. Your Mam will be fine. Try to look forward to a few months or do down the line when you will get to go on your cruise together.Hugs xxx